Tool with extension spaced from head



Feb. 3, 1953 s ELIOT 2,627,078

TOOL WITH EXTENSION SPACED FROM HEAD Filed May 20, 1950 1720622 tor,

Patented Feb. 3, 1953 OFFICE TOOL WITH EXTENSION SPACED FROM HEAD SamuelEliot, Newton, Mass.

Application May 20, 1950, Serial No. 163,164

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a general utility and tool of the percussiveor hammer type in which there is provided a handle and a striking headtransversely fixed at the end of the handle, as is commonly embodied inhammers used by carpenters, masons, machinists, and various otherartisans.

In using a hand tool of they hammer class, it

often is the case that the worker finds a need forusing the tool in handto secure various other kinds of mechanical advantage, such as to applya leverage, to jimmy a clinched member, and

generally to pull, pry, cut, straighten, andturn various structuralmembers, as well as to hold or rotate annular bodies in the manner of awrench.

The present invention aims to provide a general utility type of handtool which is designed to meet many of such needs of the worker, and todevise in one hand tool a combination of striking head and handle memberwith certain other instrumentalities which are so arranged as tocooperate with the handle and striking head in one way or another toprovide for varied novel functioning. It is also an object of theinvention to provide a simple, efficient, and conveniently applied handtool which can be cheaply manufactured and which is extremely durableand wear-resistant.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understoodand appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentof the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved general utility handtool of the invention;

7 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the striking head ofthe tool and adjacent portions 11 6 7 01;

Fig .3 is a plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, andfurther sug estin ne typical application of the device utilized as awrench.

Referring in detail to the structure shown in the drawings, numeral Illdenotes a handle of wood, aluminum or other suitable material, which hasits upper end solidly fitted into the body portion ll of the tool, asmay be more clearly.

o erV d n F 51 "i- AS Ii Wn there n the body 1 porti n l? is pr era lons ructed with a handle openi of ome, ta ered sha e throuen hich ismade an integral part of the tool and extends transversely between twoopposite sides of the body portion I2 so that it serves to divide the Ihandle extremity into two split ends, as suggested in Fig. 3, ,TheSesplit ends are conveniently cut oif and made to conform to the contourof the upper side of the hammer member.

Extending upwardly from the body portion l2 along one side thereof is araised striking head l6 formed with a flat striking face IS. The face l8may be located in various positions of angularity with respect to thevertical axis of the handle [0, and preferably will be set in suchrelative position that the face lies in a plane nearly parallel to thevertical axis of the handle, thereby taking advantage of the extendedleverage resulting from the projection of the striking head above theextremity of the handle. For some purposes this extended leverage effectis a desirable advantage and it will be seen that the striking headpresents a rounded upper surface 26 which lies above and in back of thestriking face [8 and which projects well above the end of the handleextremity II] to make possible other advantages hereinafter described inconnection with other parts of the tool.

As an instance of one desirable application of the raised striking head,attention is directed to the opening 22 transversely located through thehead which may be employed, for example, in

straightening lengths of bent pipe or other tubular bodies which havebeen twisted or deformed out of a straight line position. By slippingsuch a tubular body or pipe through the hole 22 of the striking head, ahighly desirable lifting or twisting force may be exerted. By wedgingthe annular opening 22 into engaged relation with such atubular body, anexcellent torque or twisting force maybe delivered where. it is desiredto deform of twist the work which is being held. If desired, meansconsisting of serrated edges, or other roughened surfaces, or otherholding devices, may be incorporated in the hammer surfaces constitutingthe opening 22 for further facilitating engagement of this part of thehammer with various types of work'as, for example, in holding andstretching barbed Wire, rope, and the like. f I p At the under side ofthe head Hi there is also provided means for chopping or cutting. The urm ne were or pl con en e tl takeh t rmp -t o. waded-revert cuttin edge.24 and 26.1 These are conveniently formed by removing intermediateportions 23 of the tool so that they lie at a lower level than thecutting with dressing poultry, cutting wood, rope, pipe,

cable, and various other bodies. Since the cutting edges are arranged atone side of the handle below the striking head, it is convenient to usethe tool in the same relative position as is assumed in carrying out ahammering or striking operation. Thus at one and the same time, aworkman may first strike a percussive blow and by merely advancing thelead of the tool slightly, effect a cutting or shearing blow, a functionwhich, in many instances, saves a workman time and effort in order toperform a desired operation.

At the opposite side of the body portion l2, from that occupied by thestriking head, there is provided an extension 30 which projects upwardlyat an angle to the handle I!) in a position such that it may constitutea lever portion. The effect of the lever is accentuated by forming theextension with a lower convex surface 32 which functions in the natureof a pinch bar or similar tool to pry or pull apart clinched members, aswell as achieving various other operations.

To further increase utility in this respect, the extension 30 ispreferably bifurcated to form an inverted claw which may be used in theordinary manner for removing nails, spikes, and other holding devices.It will be observed that with the claw in its inverted, position, asdescribed,

there is afforded a leverage which is developed along an opposite lineof leverage to that ordinarily available in a carpenters hammer wherethe claw is curved in the opposite dimension. For some types ofoperation where it is impossible to apply the handle of the conventionalcarpenters hammer, the inverted claw arrangement is extremely desirableand effective. Also, the outside curved face of the claw 32 can be usedas a curved striking head or hammer for shaping tin or copper sheeting,as well as hammering out ious types of annular bodies, such. as pipes,or

round cross-section stock of various classes of materials, as well assquare and hexagonal nuts of varying diameters.

Since it may also be desirable to exert a rotative force on such bodies,there has further been provided teeth 34 extending transversely acrossthe curved upper side of the extension 30 in stepped relation, asshownin Fig. 4, and these "teeth cooperate with the relatively-more sharplycurved upper side of the-striking head IE to en age a work piece 36 andpermit a turning force to be applied through the handle [0. .Since theupper side of the striking head l8 presents a varying arc of curvature,it will be apparent that a considerable range of sizes of tubular orannular bodies may be dealt with quickly and conveniently in the mannerof a set Stilson wrench. For example, the arrangement described may beapplied as a bung puller, a pipe fitting tool for usage in connectionwith large nut or bolt heads, either round or square, and various othersimilar applications. The improved tool may also be employed veryadvantageously in breaking, chopping and shearing ice deposits as, forexample, on board ship and at other places Where icy conditions areencountered.

The tool described has utility in many different connections wherein thecomponent parts may cooperate with one another in a desirable manner.Particularly this tool was devised to serve as a wrecking instrument andan ice breaking tool. For example, in breaking through a plaster wall orin breaking into a thin sheet of ice, the need is for an impact headwhich can be driven through the yieldable body of plaster, ice, orsimilar substances. However, in the usual hammering devices for thispurpose the impact head tends to go through too far, with the resultthat the neck of the handle of the tool has to-act as a stop element,which is undesirable for various reasons. It is pointed out that byforming the extension 32 of the tapered body portion such that thisextension projects upwardly and angularly away from the impact head,there is produced by the merging of this extension, with the bodyportion, a useful elongated body section which operates to limit theextent to which the tool head may be driven into a yieldable body.

Moreover, assuming, for example, that the tool head has been driven intoa plaster and lathe wall and that the extension 32 comes to bear on theexterior surface of the wall, perhaps bearing against a stud, or otherstructure member, the body portion handle and tool head can then berotated around the extension which acts as a fulcrum, and a verydesirable leverage and tearing effect can be developed, particularly ona body such as one of plaster or a sheet of ice. The same general effectmay be produced in breaking through certain types of cartons made ofheavy corrugated paper and reinforced anelling. In the case of papercartons or paper panels, a further desirable effect has been found to bepossible by the limited shearing action of the two edges which extendfrom the fiat face of the tool head downwardly and inwardly to the bodyportion in parallel spaced-apart and relieved relationship. Moreover,when the tool is rotated with the extension 32 functioning as a fulcrumthe head and cutting edges can cooperate to simultaneously cut and liftout a partially severed tab which is useful in breaking through certaintypes of packing cases.

end of the pipe may be passed through the bore -inthe tool head and thehandle, 'body portion,

and extension 32 are-then rotated for a short are until the extensionbears against the supporting surface to which the pipe is secured. Theextension then constitutes a fulcrum and the handle and body portion,together with the tool head and the pipe, are rotated about this fulcrumwith the pipe being subjected to a leverage of considerable magnitudewhich can produce a desirable bending.

Various other situations suggest themselves where the several differentfeatures of the tool may cooperate with one another to produce usefuloperations.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should beunderstood that changes and modifications may be resorted to in keepingwith the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. An improved hand tool including a tapering body portion having ahandle aperture formed therethrough, a handle secured in the aperture,said body portion including an annularly shaped tool head which extendsupwardly and angularly away from the body portion at one side thereof,said tool head presenting a fiat striking surface, an extension elementextending upwardly and angularly away from the body portion in anopposite direction from the tool head, said extension and body portioncooperating to form an elongated body section which limits the extent towhich the tool head may be driven into a yieldable body, and saidextension, when the tool head has been embedded in a yieldable body,comprising a fulcrum about which the body portion and handle may berotated to remove the tool head from the yieldable body.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, in which the tool head is furtherformed with two spacedapart relieved cutting edges which extend from theflat striking face of the tool head inwardly and downwardly to mergewith the said body portion, said cutting edges being adapted to out twospaced-apart parallel kerfs.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1, in which the tool head is formedwith a transverse bore extending substantially at right angles to theaxis of the said handle, said bore being adapted to receive therein atubular member and to exert a force on the tubular member when the bodyportion and tool head are rotated about the extension element with thelatter in a rigidly supported position.

1 SAMUEL ELIOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 54,673 Williams Mar. 9, 1920238,582 Grubb Mar. 8, 1881 935,459 Carr Sept. 28, 1909 1,562,154Erickson Nov. 17, 1925 1,664,594 Cummings Apr. 3, 1928 1,896,437 AllenFeb. '7, 1933 1,964,121 Humburg June 26, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 10,650 Denmark Mar. 23, 1908

